1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to writing instruments with handcuff accessories, including equipment and techniques for unlocking handcuffs and operating a double lock on a handcuff.
2. Description of Related Art
Law enforcement and security officials commonly carry restraining devices such as a pair of handcuffs. Each handcuff can be a hinged pair of C-shaped elements that can encircle a wrist and lock together. The handcuff industry has standardized on the key for unlocking the handcuffs. This allows an officer to carry a single key without concern for the type or brand of handcuffs. The standard key has a hollow stem with a radially projecting, rectangular, unlocking paddle.
Handcuffs normally have a double look feature that prevents further tightening of the handcuffs. This feature is operated by inserting a small pointed object into a hole in order to double lock the handcuff. Thereafter, a handcuffed suspect cannot inadvertently tighten the handcuffs to a point where an officer must intervene to alleviate pain or prevent possible injury to the suspect. Readjusting tight handcuffs is highly undesirable since the handcuff must be unlocked, giving the suspect an opportunity to resist or attempt an escape.
Handcuffs are used in emergent and often dangerous circumstances. An officer needs immediate access to the handcuff key and an implement for operating the double locking feature. Since a conventional handcuff key is typically rather small, the officer may have difficulty quickly finding it. Also, carrying two different accessories (key and double locking implement) creates clutter requiring an officer to search through several items before selecting the needed accessory.
In addition, while these handcuff accessories must be immediately accessible, they should not be immediately visible otherwise they may tempt a suspect to grab the key in an effort to escape. Also, the pointed implement used to actuate the double locking feature should not give the appearance of a possible weapon that a suspect might try to use against an officer.
Known retractable ballpoint pens employ a hollow housing containing a writing element that is spring biased toward a retracted position. The writing element can be extended by depressing a coaxial button having an internal cylindrical barrel rimmed with circumferentially spaced teeth providing cam surfaces. Slid into this cylindrical barrel is a cup-shaped shuttle having an inside open end with radially projecting teeth. By depressing the coaxial button the cam surfaces of the cylindrical barrel can rotate the teeth of the cylindrical shuttle an indexed amount thereby positioning the shuttle teeth to either (a) slide between longitudinal ribs formed on the inside of the hollow housing or (b) rest on the inside end of the ribs. Since its non-writing end is inserted into the cylindrical shuttle, the writing implement is extended or retracted depending on the position of the shuttle. For writing instruments of this type see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,191,329; and 4,991,988.
See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,064,624; 4,778,302; 5,460,022, 5,568,741; 6,390,706, 6,773,185; and 6,880,369.